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Animal Agriculture

Raising animals — poultry, hogs, horses, beef and dairy cattle and more — has become the most valuable segment of North Carolina agriculture. Today, animal agriculture accounts for about 60 percent of the state’s total farm cash receipts. North Carolina Cooperative Extension helps growers use the latest research to improve production and manage animal waste in environmentally sound ways.

Winter brings a special set of challenges for cattle producers. The need for labor and management increase just as forage quality, feed availability, and hours of daylight available to get things done decrease. MORE »Posted: 2/26/15

North Carolina Cooperative Extension, in partnership with The Livestock Conservancy, the NCDA&CS, and the NCSU Prestage Department of Poultry Science, will conduct their Annual Area Small Flock Seminar on Thursday February 5 at the McSwain Extension Education MORE »– from Growing Small FarmsPosted: 1/23/15

Grass tetany is considered a problem that usually occurs when cattle or sheep are eating lush, spring grass or annual cereal forages such as rye, wheat or triticale; but it can also occur MORE »Posted: 1/21/15

The North Carolina Sheep Producers’ Association will hold its annual educational and business meeting on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Guilford County Extension Office in Greensboro from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. MORE »– from Growing Small FarmsPosted: 1/6/15

Silage makes an excellent feed for ruminant animals. However, feeding silage is much different than feeding hay. Silage, because it is much wetter than hay, is much more susceptible to deterioration. Sealed from MORE »Posted: 12/29/14

Do you wonder if your hay is of the highest quality? Forage quality is defined as the potential of forage to produce a desired animal response. It involves consumption, nutritional value, and the MORE »Posted: 12/22/14

Creep feeding is a means of providing supplemental nutrients to nursing calves, usually in the form of grain, protein supplements, commercial calf creeps, or high quality forages. Calves are usually allowed access through MORE »Posted: 12/15/14

Successfully calving out and then rebreeding a set of first-calf heifers presents one of the greatest challenges to cow-calf producers. The physical and nutritional stresses associated with parturition, lactation and continuing her own MORE »Posted: 10/29/14

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